On September 8th at 8 pm, my father and I met in my bedroom. I was ready to type as he was calling my grandfather in Japan. Tenichi Mitsumura was born on the fifth of April, 1948. He enjoys playing golf and collecting art. You would think that a strong businessman like himself would have gone to college—let alone high school—but that was not the path he decided to take. “I wanted to become independent as soon as possible. Partly because I didn’t want to depend on my family or other people. I know it’s a place to study, but for me, to get a job is a practical branch of learning.” When he said that he wanted independence, he was talking about freedom. In Japan, junior high is from seventh to ninth grade. Everyone must go to intermediate but high school is optional—and it would cost him. For one, school was expensive and his family was very poor. Also, it would be a waste of time for him because he believed he could learn about the world a better way. So despite his mother’s wishes, Tenichi decided to go to Tokyo.
Tenichi encountered three life mentors throughout his coming of age. The first person was Noguchi sensei. In the district that he lived in, Hisae, Mie, there was a teacher who taught art lessons during after school hours. Tenichi did not see Noguchi sensei as just an art teacher. “He was not
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He says that it is important to be curious. Overall, Tenichi’s decision not to attend high school or college was worth it. He now owns a few restaurants and is preparing to retire without closing down—he is a mentor himself. Although, he did not go to school after junior high, he is not saying that it is unimportant, it just wasn’t right for him. Everyone has to find their own path to their coming of